Device for attaching pickets to wire fences



R. F. WILGOX. DEVICE EOE ATTAGEING EIGKETS To WIEE EENGES.

(No Model.)

No. 406,490. Patented July 9, 1889A.l

.Glwitmaooeo UNITED STATES PATENT CEEICE.A

REUBEN F. VVILCOX, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

DEVICE FOR ATTACHING PICKETS TO WIRE FENCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,490, dated July 9,1889. Application tiled November 15, 1888. Serial No. 290,866. (Nomodel.)

T0 cLZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, REUBEN F. WILCOX, of Kansas City, Jackson county,Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devicesfor Attaching Pickets to Wire Fences, of which the following is afull,clear, and exact description, reference being` had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to an improved device for attachment of pickets orpalings upon barbed or other wire cables in the construction of fixed ormovable fences, and particularly to a novel implement or tool that willfacilitate the operation of securing the pickets in place on the wiresor strands.

The object of my invention is to provide simple and convenient implementwhich may be quickly applied to clamp a picket in upright position upona wire strand, and thus hold it in place while the binding-loops areapplied and secured by the use of a windingtool that forms a part of theimplement.

With this object in view my invention consists in certain features ofconstruction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings that constitute a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device in position as applied to apicket, the binding-loop and tool for securing the same upon the cablebeing also shown. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detached view of thetwisting-tool, which is an adjunctive feature of the picket-attachingdevice. Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the picketclamp removed`fromvthe wire-fence cable, a portion of the device being shown in section andpart of the same in dotted lines.

In Figs. 1 and 3, A represents a frame or yoke that consists,essentially, of a cross-bar a, from which extend the parallel limbs b inthe same direction and plane. The limbs b may be made integral with thecross-bar a, or secured thereto at the ends of the same, as may bepreferred. They are of equal length and have their free ends c turned upinto hook form, as shown, to adapt them to engage a wire cable-strand,as will be further explained.

The crossbar ciI is perforated at its center of lengtlrto permit thefree insertion through said orifice of the sliding bar B, which bar` isprovided with a cross-handle C at its outer end, while upon the otherextremity a fiat bearing-block D is firmly attached at right angles tothe bar, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

On one side of the sliding bar B a series of ratchet-teeth-d are cut,which teeth are so shaped that the pawl or handled dog e, that ispivoted upon the cross-bar a, will engage said ratchet-teeth with itstoe c', a spring f being secured upon the cross-bar to bear with itsfree end on the handle of the dog e and,

cause it to mesh with the serrations of the bar, as shown in Fig. 2.

A spiral spring is placed on the sliding.

bar B, so as to bear with its ends upon the cross-handle C and cross-bara, the spring being of such relative strength and elasticity as to holdthe handle C normally projected from the cross-bar a when the dog e isreleased from the ratchet-teeth d.

In Fig. 2 is shown the device or tool used in conjunction with the clampA to attach the wire loops which hold the picket upon the barbed orother wirecable. The tie-wire loops are secured around the pickets bywrapping or coiling their ends upon the fence-cable l0, as shown in Fig.1, and, as will be noticed, a groove 151 is cut transversely in the faceof the block D, so as to permit the ready insertion of the tie-wirebetween the adjacentsurfaces of the picket 9 and block D.

It will be seen that the tool E, Figs. 1 and 2, consists of a metallever-bar of suitable length to afford proper leverage, which is bent at13 to adapt it to hook upon the cable-strand 10, the short limb 15 beingfurnished with lateral projections or lingers 144, that are notched atintervals on their lower faces. On the other end of t-he lever-bar E anotch 12 is formed, the use of which will be indicated.

In operation the clamp A is hooked under the cable 10, as shown in Fig.1, at a point Where a picket is to be attached to said cable, the handleC being retracted, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. A picket 9 is nowplaced upright between the cable and block D, and by compression of thespring t', effected by the hands of the operator, the handle C is forcedtoward thecross-bar a, which move- IOO ment will secure the picketclamped against the cable in an obvious manner. The tie-wire beinginserted in the groove 151 so as to allow even ends to project at theside edges of the picket, the forked end 12 of the lever Eis employed tobend these projecting ends toward the Wire 10 and at right anglesthereto, by placing the crotch on the tie-wire and resting the ends ofthe fork 12 on the outer face of the picket, then swinging the bar Eoutward,which movement will bend the tie-wire outward and across thecable ready to be coiled on it. The tool E is now reversed, and its bentend 13 caused to bear on the lower surface of the cable. This will causethe end 14A to rest upon the tie-wire, so that a revolution of the leverE around the cable 9 will wind or coil the end of the tie-wire upon saidcable. By changing the position of the lever 13 to the other sideredgeof the picket the remaining end of the tie-wire may be wound in place onthe cable, and thus secure the picket to the cable. After a tie-wire hasbeen affixed, as just described, the clamp B may be released by adetachment of the toe of the dog e from the teeth d, which will allowthe spring t' to retract the bar B. The clamp may now be placed onanother cable to continue the operation of attachment of the picket upontwo or more fence-cables, which lie in parallel planes,

.and thus serve to afford a substantial picketsupport.

The implement hereinbefore described may be employed to attach thepickets upon an ordinary barbed-Wire fence already in position7 or maybe utilized to construct picket fence in sections, that may be bundledforshipment or future erection at any desired point.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein-described tying-tool, comprising a body portion bent at 13to form a short liinb 15,adapting it to hook upon the strand-wires andhaving lateral projections 144 with notches upon their lower faces,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a yoke having limbs that are provided withhooked ends and a sliding clamping-bar, of a ratchet-toothed rack formedon the sliding bar, alocking-dog, and a retract-ingf-spring'7substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a yoke comprising a perforated cross-bar andtwo parallel limbs having hooks on their free ends and a bar that isprovided with ratchet-teeth and adapted to slide in the perforation ofthe cross-bar, of a pivoted locking-dog anda spiral retracting-spring,substantially as set forth.

e. The combination, with a yoke having limbs with hooked ends, of atoothed sliding bar having a cross-handle and a clampingblock, a pivoteddog, a spring to actuate the dog, and a spring to retract the slidingbar, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof l aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.1

REUBEN F. VILCOX.

Witnesses:

E. E. HIeDoN, J. C. HrGDoN.

